The Sirens are calling
by The Captain Red
Summary: A promise is made and a young prostitute named Mary vows to get off of the Island of Tortuga one way or another. After meeting the notorious Captain Jack sparrow, Mary knows what she has do to. They say one lady on a ship is bad luck, but what about a whole ship full of ladies? Join Mary and her crew of misfits as they set out for adventure, freedom, treasure, and of course rum.
1. So it begins

_Authors Note: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. This is my first story so please tell me what you think. Any helpful critisism is welcomed._

**...**

**_Chapter One_**

**_So it begins  
_**

She grunted as the man collapsed on top of her. He was soaked with sweat and reeked of rum and salt water. She cringed as he started to nuzzle his nose into her neck, smelling her rose water perfume. She hated when they tried to cuddle afterwards. The thought of spending any more time with her "customers" absolutely sickened her.

"Darlin', if you plan on snugglin' that'll cost you extra. I don't have time to be waste aroun'." The young woman said as she tried to push the man off from on top of her. He rolled over to the other side of the bed, leaving a hand still by her head, twirling a strand of her red hair between his fingers.

"I just figured, maybe, you were needed some relaxin' afta all that excitement." The man said, winking at her with the last word.

He was much older than her, she figured somewhere in his forties due to the graying hair and weathered skin. He was heavy set, dirty, and definitely not well groomed. He was more than likely an old sailor who found his way to the island and never left. Choosing to spend his days drunken with whores. Much like the rest of the older men on Tortuga.

The young woman hadn't done much of anything really. She didn't know what "excitement" he was referring to. She had just laid there, making the occasional moans at the right moments, waiting for him finish. She didn't see how laying with a man she found utterly repulsive could be relaxing. With more than enough money for the night, the only thing she really wanted to do was to lay in her own bed, with the biggest bottle of rum she could find, and drink herself into a dreamless sleep. She got up and started dressing.

"I'll be takin' me pay now, love." She said as she started pinning up her long wavy red hair. It stood out compared to almost everyone else's hair on the island. Red was definitely a rare hair color to see. It helped her though. It made her "exotic" almost. Meaning she was one of the more popular and sought after prostitutes there.

"Mary, Mary, Mary, you're always in such a hurry. Ya should learn to just enjoy ye self. It'll make it a lot easier." The man said with a laugh as he went to pick up his trousers and pull out what he owed her.

Mary took the money and placed it in the small pouch she carried tucked between her breasts. It was still early but she had already made enough for the night and then some. Planning on buying alcohol, and maybe something to eat, she made her way out of the room she was in and down the stairs to the bar portion or the tavern. It was early enough that it wasn't too crowed and noisy and she could sit in peace.

The tavern bar was large, though when everyone came in it seemed to shrink. There was long benches against two of the walls of the room. The other wall was solely dedicated to the bar, the liquor, and kitchen. The last wall had the main door attached to it and off towards the corner there was a small stage for the local musicians. In front of the stage was a small opened area, where people could stand and dance. This was mainly done by women seeking attention from the men who came in. The rest of the floor area had scattered wooden round table of various sizes. They ranged from tables that could fit six, to ones that were just meant for two.

Currently, there was no one on the stage. It wouldn't have done much good to have anyone though, seeing as there was only a hand full of people in at the moment. A few other prostitutes were chatting by the bar, as they waited for the eager men that came in looking for their company. There was two old men playing a card game on the end of a bench in a corner. Then there was one younger lad, a sailor from docked ship, passed out on top of the bench next to the card playing old men.

Mary walked up to the bar, giving herself some space between the other whores and herself, and waited for the bartender to notice she was back. "Oh there ya are Mary" The man behind the bar said once he saw her. "That didn't take long. You ready for something to drink?" he asked with a broad smile on his face. Mary had known the man for a few years now, she could honestly consider him one of the very few men she considered a friend.

"That'd be great, Sam. Some rum will do the trick" she answered back. Then, remembering that she still needed to eat before it got too busy, she added "Oi, and what ye got on the menu tonight?"

"I got some meat pies or fish stew. Plenty o' potatoes as well hun." Sam replied as he grabbed a bottle of rum from the shelf behind him and started pouring it into a cup.

"Haven't had meat pie in while. That'd be fine" she said as she tried to think of the last time she had one. She looked up and saw Sam turning to putting the rum back on the shelf and stopped him before he got too far. "Sammy love, ya know better than that. Just leave the bottle here." They both started laughing and he place the rum next to her cup, before walking away to the kitchen to retrieve her dinner.

The man named Sam quickly came back from the kitchen and set a small, warm, pie in front of Mary. She picked up a fork and took a bite size piece from her meal. Juices and meat flowed to the empty stop she just created and she could smell the savory filling. It made her mouth water. Why had she gone so long with one? She couldn't remember, but she knew she was a fool to do so. She place the bite size chunk into her mouth and savored all the flavors. The beef and juices mixed with carrots and potatoes all wrapped inside of the light and sweet pastry crust.

Just as she was finishing her pie, and about half way through the bottle of rum, Mary heard the door open. She turned her head to see a small girl standing in the door way. She couldn't be older than eight. She was very frail looking, almost too skinny for her own good, with long straight what looked like brown hair. It was hard to tell though considering the child was so covered in dirt. She had tear streaks running down her cheeks, with fresh tears trickling down from her large green eyes. Her dress had a large tear starting at her knee and ending almost at the bottom of the dress. It was exposing a large scratch she had on her leg, which looked relatively fresh.

Mary didn't like how this looked. This child shouldn't be out by herself after sun down and she looked in rough shape. She immediately stood up and quickly made her way to the door. The small girl looked frightened and tightened up at the site of the grown woman coming at her so fast. Mary didn't want to scare her off so she gave the child a large smile and when she was in front of her she crouched down to her height so they were eye level. She was hoping the girl would be able to tell she was friendly. Whatever it was that happened to her, it seemed to be very traumatizing.

"Hey little bird, what's wrong? Don't you know you shouldn't be out alone?" Mary said sweetly to the girl.

"It's my Momma. Please Miss you have to help" the girl pleaded. She started pulling on Mary's hand trying to drag her out of the tavern.

Now Mary had grown up on Tortuga, she knew that children tended to be very good at scamming unsuspecting adults. From faking they were sick to get handouts, to dragging people into dark alleyways and mugging them. She looked at the girl again, trying to decide if this was a trick or not, and finally decided that something honestly was wrong. Mary let the girl lead her out the door.

**...**

_I know it's short. Just trying to give a little taste. Dipping my toes in the water, as they say. Please review and tell me what you think! I plan on getting a chapter out a week so keep watching for updates.  
_

_*me* "Oi, you stinking sea dogs! Lift the anchor, open the sails, and let's get a move on! These readers are asking for more!"_

_*pirate crew* AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!_


	2. MAry had a little bird

_Author's note: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Also I am trying to get at least a chapter a week up. If I'm slacking feel free to bother the hell out of me and get me going. I encourage you to let me know what you think at the end of each chapter.  
_

_ So where were we? Oh that's right, a prostitute named Mary and a distraught little girl. Well, don't let me hold you back. Get to reading! We're all dying to find out what's going on!_

_*Pirate crew cheers in the background* "HERE! HERE!"_

_*Myself* "GET BACK TO WORK YOU SCALLYWAGS!"_

…

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Mary had a little bird**_

Mary was being lead out of the tavern, where she had been working, by a young girl who came in. The girl was clearly upset and believed something was wrong with her mom. Mary touched the side of her dress, where she had a small hidden pocket, to make sure she had her pistol handy incase anything unsavory happened. In a place like Tortuga, it was always important to have some way to defend yourself. Mary always had a small knife hidden in her left boot, and her beloved pistol either in a hidden pocket or tucked in between her breasts.

The child started leading Mary down a dead end ally. It was dark and appeared empty. 'Dammit! I shoulda known better. This brat is leadin' me right into a trap' Mary thought to herself. All the sudden she saw the form of a woman curled into a ball in the back of the ally. She quickened her pace, when she saw the woman wasn't moving. Mary noticed a stack of barrels and pulled the girl behind them.

"Little bird, I need you to wait right here. Don't move from this spot, savy?" Mary said the girl, keeping her voice down, in case there was anyone else close by. She didn't want to risk the girl getting hurt. She was also worried the woman, who she assumed was this girl's mother, was dead or dying. That was not a site any child needed to see. This world was scary, and it was going to get scarier as the girl got older. The least Mary could do was spare her from this particular image.

Mary slowly crept up to the body, then crouched down close to see if the woman was breathing. When she saw the woman's chest just barely raise up and fall back down, she let out a sigh of relief. "Miss?" she whispered. "Miss, please, if you can 'ear me, I'm gonna try to help you" she said as she placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and pulled it down to lay her flat on the ground.

The woman was severely beaten and her dress was completely shredded. Mary had seen stuff like this before. Her best guess was that the woman was dragged into the ally, viciously raped, and then the man who did it just left her crumpled on the ground, like a used handkerchief. As she examined the woman's body further, she noticed there was a lot of blood forming a puddle around her. It was escaping from a large slash in her side. Whoever did this had obviously not wanted her to live afterwards. Mary picked up a piece of the torn dressed and held it firmly against the cut. That's when the woman's hand shot out and grabbed her arm.

"My daughter? Where is my daughter? Is she alright?" the woman started speaking. Her eyes were large and filled with fear. Her heavy French accent full of concern for the child.

"Miss, she's fine. The little bird came and found me" Mary replied. All the sudden, she heard small feet running up behind her. She turned her head and saw the little girl looking down at the woman. The girl dropped to her knees and took the woman's hand.

"Moma! I'm right here, moma. This lady is going to help you" the little girl said to the woman. There were tears in her eyes, but she sounded so full of hope.

"Little bird, I thought I told ya to stay back. Ye mum's very hurt" Mary said to the girl, trying to be as sensitive to the situation as she could.

"Can I just tell her I love her? I promise I'll go back other there, madame. Just please let me say that" the little girl begged. She sensed something was very wrong, but she needed to make sure her mother knew how much she loved her.

"Aye, love, you can do that" Mary replied.

"Moma, I love you so very much. S'il vous plaît ne me quitte pas (_please don't leave me_)" the girl said looking down at her mother, holding her hand as tightly as she could.

"My sweet Anne, I love you more than anything in this whole world" the woman said before letting out a raspy cough. "Remember, the story about the moon and the sun. Je t'aime, mon rayon de soleil (_I love you, my sunshine_)" the woman started coughing even more.

"Love, I think it best if you go wait by the barrels now" Mary said. She was trying to be strong, but her sensitive side was about to burst into tears. The little girl, named Anne, nodded her head in response. She gave her mother a kiss, stood up and let go of her hand, then turned to walk away reluctantly.

"Madame, please I know I am about to pass" the mother said. She was having trouble getting the words out, as her breath was getting shorter. "I beg of you, get my Anne off this Island. She deserves so much better" the woman let out another large cough and squeezed Mary's hand.

"I promise, Miss. I'll see she gets away" Mary promised. She knew it was bad luck to deny a dying person their final wish. One way or another she would get Anne off the godforsaken rock, even if it took her several years. She closed her eyes to keep back a tear, as the situation was getting extremely emotional. When she opened her eyes again, the woman's hand had dropped away from Mary's. She was no longer breathing.

There was nothing more Mary could do. She started rubbing her nose with the crook of her right index finger and thumb. She needed to figure out what to do with the body. She couldn't leave it there for a stranger to find. She stopped rubbing her nose and scanned the woman's body for anything useful, but it seemed if she had had something, it was already gone. She looked at the hand that had been holding hers not more than a minute ago and noticed a ring. She slipped it off the woman's finger, planning on giving it to Anne. She stood up and turned to start walking back to the tavern.

"Anne, love, are you still there?" Mary called out, hoping she hadn't run away.

"Yes madame" came a small voice from behind the barrels.

Mary closed her eyes and started rubbing her nose again, as if it itched her. She was also going to have to figure out what to do with the girl. She was polite and seemed to listen well. Maybe Mistress Elizabeth would let her stay at the brothel and help clean and cook. She was much too young to work the streets and Mary couldn't just leave her there to beg. Mary had promised the girl's mother that she'd get her out of there, and to do that she was going to have to keep her in safe until then. She stopped rubbing her nose and looked down at the girl.

"Right little bird, it looks like you're stuck with me for now. Don't fret though, I'll be sure to take good care of ya. I'll be your big sister" Mary said with a smile on her face, trying to keep Anne's mind off of her mother. Mary was 17 and had never taken care of anything before, not even a plant. She was determined though, to make sure nothing would happen to Anne.

Summers in Tortuga meant it was dreadfully hot during the days, but as soon as the sun set everything started to cool down. Mary didn't want to have Anne out in the dark and cool weather, but she wanted to get her fed before heading back to the brothel. 'Maybe Sammy will have something sweet. I'm sure she would like that. What little kid doesn't like a good sweet?' Mary thought to herself. She had been looking down at Anne while they were walking and almost lead them straight past the tavern. A lantern had been lit underneath a large sign that hung out from the doorway. It read 'The Greedy Troll' and was in the shape of a pot full of coins.

Mary lead Anne inside, making sure to firmly keep a good grasp on her little hand. She didn't want to lose her in the growing crowd. They walked up to the bar where Sam was pouring drinks and sat on a stool. Sam looked over and saw his good friend Mary and was about to give her a smile, but then he noticed the girl from before was with her.

"Mary, you know this is no place for a wee thing like her" Sam chastised.

"Oi, you think I don't know that? 'Course I know that, but we have a bit of a…situation" Mary didn't want to draw to much attention out there in the open. Especially since the man that killed Anne's mother could be in there. She needed to choose her words carefully and stay away from the subject as best she could, until she was a safer place. She turned to Anne and quickly changed the subject. "Anne, this be Sam. Or Sammy. He doesn't much like the second one, but I call him that none the less. Sammy here cooks some fine grub, and he normally keeps something sweet around. Would you be wanting to eat anything?"

"I'm not really sure. I guess I am a bit hungry. If you don't mind Madame, something sweet does sound nice" Anne said to Mary with a small smile on her face. Mary could tell it was forced, but it was good enough for now.

"You heard the little bird, Sammy! What ya got that's rotten for ye teeth?" Mary said with enthusiasm, trying to get Anne's spirits up.

"I got some lemon candies here" Sam said as he grabbed a bowl from below the bar. "Take as many as you'd like deary. There on the house."

"Thank you, sir" Anne said quietly as she took a few candies from the bowl. She placed all but two in her little pouch she was carrying. She unwrapped them and popped both in her mouth. One for each cheek. Mary laughed, thinking she looked like a small squirrel.

"Is that all you want to eat, love?" Mary asked, worried that the tiny girl may go hungry.

"Yes Madame. I'm not very hungry. I would really just like to lay down. I feel very tired now" Anne replied. She let out a small yawn and started rubbing her eyes.

"Alright little bird, I'll take ya home with me tonight. When the sun comes back up we'll go to your home and get your things. Will you tell me 'bout the sun and the moon before we lay down? I've never heard that story" Mary was curious about the story that Anne's mother had mentioned. Maybe it would cheer the girl up just a little bit to tell it.

"Yes, Madame, I would love to! It is one of my favorites" Anne said excitedly. Mary's plan seemed like it would work, at least for tonight. They said good bye to Sam and then left The Greedy Troll.

…

_So there's Chapter 2, go ahead and tell me what you think. Also if you think the story is getting good, make sure to tell your friends to check it out. _

_*Pirate crew member* "Oi, captain –sniff- that was kind o' sad."_

_*Me* "Hey don't be getting soft on me. Dry ye tears, you blubbering baboon and get back to work! Next person I see crying, I'll make ya cut up a hundred onions. Then you'll have something to cry about!"_


	3. The Stranger

_Author's note: Ugh, I'm so sorry you guys. I know it's been months and you all have been stuck with the same two chapters. BORING! Lol But really, I'm sorry. I hope this makes up for it. Big thanks to all the people following the story. I'm so glad you guys think that it's worth getting an update on. Remember to review and feel free to send me messages with any ideas or critiques. _

_SO we left off with Mary taking Anne back to the brothel after making a promise to her dying mother. Well let's see what happens next!_

_Me: "Alright you lazy dogs, we've sat around long enough! Off to find adventure, Raise anchor!"_

_Pirate crew: "AYE! AYE! Captain! It's good to have ya back with us."_

…

_**Chapter 3**_

_**The stranger**_

Anne had grown so tired on the way back to Mary's brothel, that Mary was now carrying her. She was asleep with her head snuggled into the crook of Mary's neck. Mary stood outside the door of her brothel trying to figure out a way to open it without losing her grip on the sleeping child in her arms. After everything that happened, Mary knew Anne needed to rest and she didn't want to wake her. Just as Mary was about to readjust her hold on Anne, she heard laughing coming from the other side. The door flung back and in its place stood two of Mary's fellow prostitutes laughing with a man who stood between them.

"Oh, Mary is that you?" one of the girls, the younger of the two, asked as she noticed Mary trying to step away from the door and out of their way.

"Yea," Mary replied trying to stay quiet as to not wake Anne. "My hands are a bit full, you think you could let me squeeze on in?"

"Oh, of course!" the second said as she pulled back the first girl from the door way. The man though did the exact opposite. He stepped forward and held his arms out towards Mary and her sleeping bundle.

"Here love, let me help you with that." The man said, stepping even closer to Mary to take Anne from her. Mary didn't recognize the man, and by the rather large hat, long hair, and weathered attire he wore, she assumed he was a pirate. It was too dark to make out much else, but he was close enough that she could smell his strong scent, which was a mix of rum and sea salt. Not entirely trusting the stranger, and not wanting to risk Anne waking up in the arms of a strange man, Mary shook her head.

"I got her, its fine. Now if ya could let me pass, that'd be help enough." She tried to sound as polite as she could, but at the same time make it clear that she really didn't need the man's help. She'd learned a lot about men from her line of work, and from her experience they could be pretty stubborn when it came to helping carry heavy things for women.

"Are ya sure? You might have her now, but going up those stairs are goin' to be hell." The man said as he started to back away. He gestured towards the stairs on the inside of the building. _'Damn I forgot 'bout them bloody stairs'_ Mary thought to herself as she realized she'd have to carry Anne up two flights just to get to her room.

All the rooms were located on the higher levels of the brothel. There were four floors all together. The main floor where they stood outside of now had the large sitting area where girls could dance, show off, and chat up potential customers. Off to the side was another room, just for the girls who lived there. It was a kitchen and dining area, fairly small and nothing very special. Stairs lead up both sides of the main room to the second floor.

"Fine," Mary finally replied, reluctantly. "Just be careful. If you wake her, you'll regret it." She gave the man a hard stare, getting her point across, and carefully handed Anne over. She was a small girl, but Mary was starting to feel tired and the weight had gotten to her. Her arms felt like jelly once they were freed.

Anne curled up against the man as he wrapped an arm under her. "I wouldn't dream of it. The wee looks tuckered out." He moved away from the door to allow Mary room to enter. "After you, deary." He said as he gestured his free hand to Mary and smiled smoothly. Mary rolled her eyes and headed towards the stairs.

On the second floor were the newest and cheapest girls. There were ten rooms on this floor, the middle being a bathroom with large mirrors, three closed off toilets, and two large tubs big enough to fit several people. On the left side of the bathroom were five small rooms, and on the right side there were four. Each room had a small bed, a chair, and a trunk. Because they didn't earn much and were new, the Mistress only gave them very basic stuff as to not waste money. Girls assigned to the second floor, in many cases, didn't stay long. In the corner, on the right side, was another set of stairs leading to the third floor.

The third floor had seven rooms all together, and it was home to the more experienced girls that had proved they were worth keeping around. Mary stayed in one of these rooms. There was a bathroom in the middle, just like the second floor, with three bedrooms on each side. The bathroom was the same size and set up as the second floor. The bedrooms were slightly different though. They were larger and the Mistress provided a bit more for these rooms. They came with larger beds, a trunk, two chairs with a small table, and a vanity. Off to the left corner of the third floor was the stairs to the fourth floor.

The fourth floor only had four rooms. They were the suits, only given to those who the Mistress favored the most. Her room was the largest of the four, and Mary had only been in there once. She remembered the large four poster bed with beautiful pink curtains that hung around it. There was a couch and two chairs, a table, a large tub, a dresser, a vanity, a small closet that she assumed was the toilet, and a large closet full of dresses. Mary was young when she was in there, too young to remember to many details, but to a poor child it looked like what a princess's room might look like. Mary had never seen the inside of the other three rooms, but she knew who lived in them. One room belonged to the twins, two sisters who earned the most money in the brothel, not only because they were beautiful but also because they made an amazing team. Another room belonged to a girl named Cheri, who not only brought in tons of money every night selling herself, but also had a signing act once a week that brought in the entire town almost. The last room had been empty for the past three years after the previous girl let her guard down and was found in back alley with an empty coin purse and a knife in her gut.

As Mary came to the top of the stairs for the third floor she turned towards the man to thank him. He was only half way up though, taking his time as to not wake the sleeping child in his arms, so Mary took the opportunity to get a good look at him. The first thing she noticed was his hair. Even under the hat she could tell it was wild. It was long and dark brown, parts of it were dreaded or braided and the rest was left alone. There were random trinkets tied and braided in, some beads and feathers here, some silver and gold there, a couple coins, and what even looked like a bone. He had dark skin from dirt and being sun kissed while living on a ship and working out in the sun. His eyes were darkened with charcoal, and it made them seem almost sunken in, giving him a slightly sinister and mysterious look. Mary studied his sharp facial features a bit more and came to the conclusion that even his facial hair was unique. It was well groomed, a mustache and a goatee, but he grew his goatee in two braids that ended with small beads. _'He is most certainly interestin' to look at, I'll give him that', _she thought to herself.

The man had finally reached the top step and looked a bit winded. "Thanks for carryin' her, it was kind of ya. I can take her from here." Mary thanked the stranger and stepped forward to unload the burden from him.

"It's not a problem, love. Just show me which one of these rooms is yours and I'll take her there." The man insisted stubbornly.

Mary just rolled her eyes, knowing that he would probably say something along those lines and lead him to her room. He probably wanted to get unpaid time with her as a thanks. She of course would never let that happen. She was tired and never let anyone have anything for free. It was the first rule she learned. No man on this damned island deserved getting her for free was what the Mistress had told her.

"Well this is it. You can just lay her down on the bed." Mary told the man as she opened the door to her room. He walked past her, lightly brushing up against her to get through the door, and then he gently laid Anne on the bed. After making sure she wouldn't wake up, he stepped away from her and started walking to the door where Mary stood. He stopped when he was out of the room and stood in front of the young woman he'd just helped. Mary was unsure why he was just standing there, he seemed to be studying her. It made her a little uncomfortable.

"Thank you again sir. I better be getting' to bed myself. Been an exciting day to say the least." She started walking into the room, when the stranger grabbed her by the wrist to stop her. _'Dammit, this is where he's going to say I owe him something. Damn, Damn, Damn! I shoulda just pushed past him and dealt with the bloody stairs.' _Her mind started racing with ways to get away from him unharmed.

"Is she ok?" The man asked finally. A look of worry on his face. Caught off guard by the question, Mary didn't immediately answer. "Your sister, is she ok? She was murmuring while I carried her up." He added on when Mary didn't answer him.

"My sister? You mean Anne? She's not my sister, and honestly I don't know." She replayed what had happened in her mind and felt the heart ache hit all over again. "I'm taking care of her, as a favor. She seems tough. I'm sure she'll be alright. Now if you still want to catch up with those ladies you were with, you better hurry. They can be pretty impatient." She added the last part to remind him he had kept the two girls waiting downstairs. Hopefully he'd let her go so she could finally rest.

"Ah, that's right. I did tell the dearies to wait for me didn't I? Well, love I hope you two all the best. And if you think of joining me later," The man staring adding with a seductive smirk spreading across his face. "Just ask for Captain Jack. Someone will point you in my direction." He winked at her and let her wrist go. She watched him as he started descending the stairs, and kept watching till she could see no more of him. She was left with the lingering salty sea and rum scent that seemed to follow her into her dreams once she finally settled down and passed out next to Anne.

…

_Alright so there he is! The great Captain himself. What will happen next? Will Mary see him again? Will Anne be able to stay in the brothel? Oooo questions! So I know it's not much but, I wanted to get something put up. It's been too long. I'm already working on the next chapter. It'll be up in a couple days. Pinky promise this time._

_Crew member: "Oi captain, where to next?"_

_Me: "Where ever the keyboard leads us to!"_


End file.
